InterviewVisitor Figures 2020
Going viral, the right way: what it's like running the world’s best museum social media accounts during a pandemic
We asked the people behind the Royal Academy’s Twitter, the Met’s Instagram, the Uffizi’s TikTok and the Van Gogh Museum’s Facebook account what 2020 was like for them
BlogDiary
Art in the Netflix period drama Bridgerton, from the Holburne Museum to the Royal Academy
BlogBook Club
An expert's guide to Francis Bacon: five must-read books on the post-war painter
All you ever wanted to know about the artist, from a deep dive into his chaotic studio to accounts of his exploits in seedy Soho—selected by the art historian Michael Peppiatt
NewsEmergency grants
Numbers game: UK cultural emergency funds in the spotlight
Despite a £1.57bn pot, an algorithm-based grant-making process and complex criteria have left some major institutions empty-handed
PreviewTracey Emin
The Big Review—Tracey Emin/Edvard Munch: The Loneliness of the Soul
The British artist rekindles her love affair with the work of her favourite artist at the Royal Academy—and it is Emin whose voice emerges strongest
NewsDavid Hockney
David Hockney appoints Royal Academy curator Edith Devaney as his new managing director
Devaney, previously at the RA for 22 years, will oversee artist’s catalogue raisonné among other projects
ReviewThe Year in Review 2020
No shows: the biggest cancelled exhibitions of 2020
From the saga over a controversially delayed Philip Guston show to an under appreciated female Old Master whose big moment never came
ReviewThe Year in Review 2020
The best and worst art world moments in 2020
It was tempting to simply put “everything and everyone” in the bad-year column. But even this most challenging of years was not entirely terrible
Newscoronavirus
Colourist painter and Royal Academician Philip Sutton opens new gallery—at the age of 92
Artist—who is now blind in one eye and lives in a sheltered care home—is launching a space in Bridport, England, to sell his own works
NewsMuseums
Friends forever? Museums rely on generosity of paying members and loyalty schemes to survive pandemic
Many UK institutions are hoping members will continue to support them despite limited benefits and recurring closures
NewsArts funding
Will UK government furlough extension make museums rethink redundancy plans?
Petition launched calling for Southbank Centre staff to be reinstated in light of Chancellor’s announcement while Royal Academy confirms coronavirus funding snub
BlogRoyal Academy of Arts
Royal Academicians band together to release portfolio of prints made in the midst of lockdown
BlogThe Buck stopped here
Delayed Royal Academy Summer Exhibition delivers powerful diversity statement and an Okwui Enwezor tribute
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Royal Academy of Arts considers selling Michelangelo marble to plug financial hole—and not for the first time
Some academicians argue that instead of cutting almost half of the institution's jobs, it should consider selling the Taddei Tondo—worth several hundred million pounds
ReviewExhibitions
The Big Review: Gauguin and the Impressionists at the Royal Academy of Arts
The London exhibition has many highlights, but viewing this long-planned show is unlike anyone could have envisaged before the coronavirus pandemic
NewsRoyal Academy of Arts
London’s Royal Academy of Arts plans to slash 40% of jobs
Cuts have been announced as the institution aims to make savings of £8m a year and awaits news on government grant
NewsExhibitions
Major Francis Bacon show to explore how animals fuelled artist's fascination with flesh
The exhibition Francis Bacon: Man and Beast at the Royal Academy of Arts in London next year will include the artist's final work—a painting of a bull
NewsRoyal Academy of Arts
Picasso show sells out before it even reopens—but Royal Academy of Arts is still making a loss
The London institution has reopened after four months of coronavirus lockdown but under very different circumstances
InterviewMarina Abramovic
‘It is dangerous for artists when the events of the day change their work’: Marina Abramovic on art and the coronavirus pandemic
The performance artist has been in lockdown in Austria and spoke to us exclusively about making work in isolation and following Matisse’s example as a response to the crisis
Newscoronavirus
Royal Academy of Arts cancels Angelica Kauffman and Paul Cézanne exhibitions amid coronavirus crisis
As the London institution announces its revised exhibition schedule, we reveal the international knock-on effect triggered by the changes
AnalysisMuseums & Heritage
'There is no fast track back to normal': museums confront economic fallout of the pandemic
Closed museums are losing millions in income, ushering in job cuts, appeals for emergency relief and lasting changes in strategy
ReviewThree to see
Three social media feeds to scroll through this weekend
From hilarious tweets from Tim of the National Cowboy Museum to trivia and doodle challenges from the Royal Academy of Arts
AnalysisArt's Most Popular 2020
What were the most visited ticketed shows in London, Paris and New York last year?
Londoners stuck to the tried-and-tested and New Yorkers showed their patriotic sides, while Parisians were drawn in by golden treasures
PreviewExhibitions
No stone unturned: an exhibition explores Cézanne’s fascination with rocks
Princeton show charts the artist’s enduring pursuit of geological compositions
PreviewExhibitions
Léon Spilliaert’s doom and gloom to light up the Royal Academy of Arts
The first major UK show will include 80 works by the little-known Belgian artist who has always "escaped easy categorisation"
PreviewExhibitions
Angelica Kauffman, who was lauded in her lifetime but later largely ignored by art historians, gets new show
Travelling Kunstpalast exhibition will feature the only known ceiling paintings created by a woman in the 18th century
ReviewThree to see
Three exhibitions to see in London this weekend
From Ruth Asawa's delicate structures to a revelatory show of Picasso's paper works
PreviewPablo Picasso
Royal Academy of Arts to show rare Picasso drawings from ground-breaking 1956 film of the artist at work
Most of the works, created with felt tip pen on newsprint, have been lost, but two have been specially restored for London show
PreviewThe Year Ahead 2020
The biggest exhibitions around the world in 2020
From Artemisia to Abramović, Old Masters to Olmecs, and Richter to Roman antiquities—here are next year's must-see shows
NewsAppointments
Rebecca Salter elected president of London’s Royal Academy—the first woman in its 251-year history
The printmaker replaces Christopher Le Brun who stepped down after eight years in the post
ReviewThree to see
Three exhibitions to see in London this weekend
From Lucian Freud's stunning self-portraits at the Royal Academy of Arts to King Tut's treasures at the Saatchi Gallery
InterviewTim Marlow
‘I won’t be bringing in a load of artists’: Tim Marlow on leading the Design Museum
Royal Academy’s artistic director is an unexpected choice
PreviewExhibitions
Lucian Freud's self-portraits sure to pack a punch in London show
The artist’s altercation with a cab driver produced one of many revealing paintings being exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts
NewsAppointments
Tim Marlow leaves Royal Academy of Arts to head London’s Design Museum
Announcement of RA artistic director's new appointment comes after Deyan Sudjic and Alice Black stepped down as co-directors
ReviewExhibitions
High tension: metal guru Antony Gormley pushes the limits for Royal Academy show
London exhibition tells a complex story of body, space and boundaries
ReviewExhibitions
Three exhibitions to see in London this weekend
From Helen Beard's sexually fluid paintings to Helene Schjerfbeck's unique Nordic Modernism
NewsExhibitions
Bare necessities: would you brush up against naked performers to get inside Marina Abramovic’s 2020 London show?
Artist's famous nude performance—first done with Ulay—to be recreated in her retrospective at the Royal Academy of Arts next year
NewsExhibitions
Tracey Emin and Edvard Munch joint show on its way to London’s Royal Academy of Arts
Exhibition first opens at Norway’s new Munch Museum, where Emin’s giant bronze The Mother will be permanently installed outside
PreviewExhibitions
The lauded Finnish artist Helene Schjerfbeck finally gets major UK show
Although her greatest work was painted in St Ives, the artist is little known in the UK—but a survey at the Royal Academy of Arts hopes to change that
BlogIn the frame
Lucian Freud's model David Dawson looks forward to artist biography and self-portrait smorgasbord
ReviewThree to see
Three exhibitions to see in London this weekend
From the little-known Renaissance painter Bartolomé Bermejo at the National Gallery to the Hayward Gallery's huge group show exploring gender fluidity
BlogIn the frame
A ban on Banksy? Anti-Brexit work at the Royal Academy is on/off limits
News
Bob and Roberta Smith takes council sell-off protest to the Royal Academy
The artist’s work submitted to the Summer Show denounces Hertfordshire’s decision to auction more than 400 works
AnalysisArt's Most Popular 2019
Art's Most Popular: here are 2018's most visited shows and museums
Fashion continues upward trend in the US, shooting to the top of The Art Newspaper's chart, while the British Museum slips from the top spot in the UK
NewsThree to see
Three exhibitions to see in London this weekend
From Henry Moore’s Helmet Heads at the Wallace Collection to Renaissance nudes at the Royal Academy of Arts
NewsThree to see
Three exhibitions to see in London this weekend
From exquisite Elizabethan portrait miniatures at the National Portrait Gallery to Franz West's playful sculptures at Tate Modern
NewsRoyal Academy of Arts
Axel Rüger, director of Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, appointed new chief executive of Royal Academy
He succeeds Charles Saumarez Smith who stepped down in July 2018
InterviewArtist interview
Back to basics: Michael Craig-Martin on his new show in Windsor (Florida)
The conceptual artist brings a range of recent works stateside in a presentation co-organised by the Royal Academy of Arts
NewsThree to see
Three exhibitions to see in London this weekend
From Pierre Bonnard's colours-turned-up-to-11 at Tate Modern to Bill Viola's dust up with Michelangelo at the Royal Academy of Arts
FeatureBill Viola
Kira Perov: the ‘guardian angel’ in Bill Viola’s life and work
As the Royal Academy in London prepares to open a show uniting the US video artist with Michelangelo, his wife and collaborator discusses her pivotal role in his process
NewsRoyal Academy of Arts
Jock McFadyen announced as co-ordinator of Royal Academy's 251st Summer Exhibition
The Scottish painter will lead a committee of fellow artists to organise the annual contemporary art show
PreviewRoyal Academy of Arts
Royal Academy widens outreach with exhibition by homeless people
Art is Part of the Equation forms part of the institution’s push to make art more accessible
PreviewThe Year Ahead 2019
Which exhibitions will be the blockbusters of 2019?
Major Leonardo and Rembrandt anniversaries mean a wealth of shows focusing on the Old Masters, but Tintoretto, the Bauhaus or Bill Viola could be dark horses
BlogThe Buck stopped here
Sir Charles steps down as chief-executive of the RA and settles a few old scores along the way
NewsExhibitions
The Getty’s Renaissance Nude explores issues of power and sexuality—but don’t expect a #metoo reckoning
The show includes male and female examples for historic accuracy, its lead curator says
NewsThree to see
Three exhibitions to see in London this weekend
From the erotic drawings of Klimt and Schiele at the Royal Academy to a last chance to see two hard-hitting shows by Mika Rottenberg and Hannah Perry
ReviewBooks
Reputations redeemed by art: two books examine what made Charles I and II great collectors but bad rulers
Despite the failings of the Stuart kings, their art collections stand in their favour, as exhibitions in the UK this year have shown
PreviewExhibitions
Looted ‘cannibal’ bowl served up in Royal Academy of Art’s Oceania show
Artefact is one of around 200 on show in largest exhibition on the region in almost 40 years
BlogThe Buck stopped here
Bob and Roberta Smith’s family values and pencil power at the Royal Academy of Arts
BlogIn the frame
No to Nigel—picture of Brexiteer Farage left on the shelf at Royal Academy
NewsExhibitions
A match made in heaven: Bill Viola to be shown alongside Michelangelo at the Royal Academy
The exhibition will examine themes of spirituality and mortality in both artists’ work
FeatureArt Fund Museum of the Year 2018
The Postal Museum: a ride into the story of mail that really delivers
The newly opened museum takes visitors on a journey underground and reflects major shifts in the nature of human connection
BlogThe Buck stopped here
'Cut into your finger and sprinkle urine on bad dreams': Marina Abramovic shares her spiritual recipes
BlogThe Buck stopped here
A Riot of Subversion: Welcome to the House of Fun
News
Royal Academy launches new £34,000 postgraduate course. But who can afford it?
The institution is entering the lucrative world of branded education
NewsThree to see
Three to see: London
From rejuvenated “killed negatives” to a new lease of life for the UK’s only Michelangelo marble
Podcast
Podcast episode 32: David Chipperfield on the new Royal Academy
The Academy’s £56m project opens, with subtle additions and revamps by the British architect. Chipperfield talks about the subtleties of architecture, the RA’s chief executive Charles Saumarez Smith discusses funding and the quirks of the institution and we review the buildings and its displays with Jane Morris.
FeatureMichelangelo
The UK's only marble Michelangelo takes pride of place at new Royal Academy
The Taddei Tondo has not always been treated as a masterpiece
BlogThe Buck stopped here
From Shrimp Eyes to Tom Odell: Royal Academy's collection (and VIPs) serenaded at opening party
FeatureRoyal Academy of Arts
How the Royal Academy Schools shook off their fusty image
Once seen as a bastion of tradition ignored by young artists, the institution's postgraduate fine art course has become the most desirable in London
FeatureRoyal Academy of Arts
Ignominy to influence: a history of women at the Royal Academy
London institution’s founders included two women, but a long period of male domination has only recently been challenged
BlogThe Buck stopped here
The private life of the Royal Academy revealed in TV documentary
FeatureRoyal Academy of Arts
We go behind the scenes as the Royal Academy celebrates 250 years
Delve into the heart of the revamped London institution—expanded, embellished and eccentric as ever
BlogIn the frame
A New Spirit of Painting makes a comeback (with one woman artist this time)
NewsThree to see
Three to see: London
Monet takes on the city at the National Gallery and it is the final week of the once-in-a-lifetime Charles I show at the Royal Academy
InterviewFeatures
Tacita Dean on her three major London shows
From genre fluidity to the British artist's love of analogue film
BlogDiary of an art historian
The National Gallery’s issue of trust
I only found out by accident how well off the museum really is
BlogThe Buck stopped here
Anish Kapoor and Marina Abramovic battle it out at launch of new VR works
NewsJMW Turner
UK government places export bar on Turner’s Ehrenbreitstein
Arts minister Michael Ellis has stepped in to prevent the painting from being exported
NewsExhibitions
Royal Academy of Arts tried to borrow $450m Salvator Mundi for its Charles I exhibition
New London show has received glowing reviews but there is one conspicuous absentee
NewsThree to see
Three to see: London
From a triumphant show of Charles I's collection at the Royal Academy to an Andreas Gursky retrospective at the revamped Hayward Gallery
NewsExhibitions
Fit for a king? What the British press is saying about the new Charles I exhibition
Royal Academy of Arts show has received near unanimous reviews
NewsExhibitions
British invasion: Royal Academy teams up with Florida art space
Grayson Perry kicks off a series of three solo shows by RA artists at the Gallery at Windsor
PreviewExhibitions
Royal Academy of Arts reunites masterpieces from Charles I's collection—many for first time since his execution
Exhibition will include paintings by Titian, Mantegna and Van Dyck
NewsAcquisitions
Tacita Dean’s film of Hockney smoking bought by Royal Academy and National Portrait Gallery
Acquisition heralds triptych of London shows dedicated to Dean
BlogDiary of an art historian
Stop reading, start looking: today’s art history students are not getting a grounding in connoisseurship skills
When I put an image of a well-known Titian on the screen, only one of 40 could identify the artist
PreviewThe Year Ahead 2018
Our guide to the most important new museums and expansions in 2018
From striking new spaces in France and the US to major revamps of old favourites in London and Los Angeles
NewsThree to see
Three to See in London in 2018
From King Charles I to the King of Pop
PreviewExhibitions
Life drawing from George III to Iggy Pop
Royal Academy of Arts exhibition explores the history of drawing the human figure and how artists depict it today
NewsEducation
New lease of life for life drawing classes?
Age-old practice is being ‘gradually reinvigorated', but new frontier is seemingly in 3D reprographic skills
ReviewExhibitions
Richard Wentworth and Kenneth Baker on Jasper Johns's retrospective at the Royal Academy of Arts
“So many tropes going on in his work, it would make a lovely laundry list,” says the British artist of his US counterpart
BlogIn the frame
George Frederic Watts’s Physical Energy horseman rides into the RA—again
NewsThree to see
Three to see: London
From the British Museum's Lion Man to Matisse's studio studies at the Royal Academy
BlogIn the frame
Scoop: image surfaces of hacks at Royal Academy press view—in 1892
Chief executive Charles Saumarez Smith was surprised by rediscovered illustration
CommentArtists
Portrait of Tracey: how Emin's cancer diagnosis hasn't stopped her from being an artistic dynamo
With exhibitions at the Royal Academy and Xavier Hufkens, as well as her return to Margate, the artist is doing more in convalescence than most people manage in full health
Louisa Buck